Aaron Donald Reveals His Kids Play Major Factor in Retirement Decision

The three-time defensive player of the year has three kids, and he misses spending time with them.

Aaron Donald has hinted at a potential retirement since right before the Super Bowl, saying if the Rams won, that this might be his last season in the league.

Well, the Rams did win, and now the 30-year-old has been pelted with questions about retirement ever since.

Donald has still not made up his mind.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Donald finally gave some explanation as to why he’s even considering retirement in the first place: his kids.

“I’m thinking about my kids, first, always,” Donald told Greg Bishop. “People who know me understand why.”

Donald has three kids, Jaeda, Aaron Jr. and Aaric. Jaeda is eight and the oldest, and she lives in Pittsburgh along with Aaron Jr. Aaric, who was born in September, lives in Southern California with Donald and his wife, Erica.

Because of the distance between him and his oldest two kids, Donald has struggled mentally when he cannot be with them. Even after losing Super Bowl LIII, Donald said his anxiety afterwards stemmed a lot from missing out time with his children.

“When I came home, I just wasn’t myself,” Donald said. “If my kids’ situation is not in order, my world is not in order. Honestly, it has always been about [them].” 

This season was different for Donald, though. He talked to Jaeda and Aaron Jr. as much as he could, and he flew them out to California when they could. He took time off, which is a rarity for him in his career. This additional time made him realize how much he misses out on while training for football.

The three-time defensive player of the year did not hint at any particular decision about his retirement yet. 

For more Los Angeles Rams coverage, check out Rams Digest.